


What happens In College

by sedamentary



Series: What Happens... [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, M/M, Matt is a precious awkward taco, at least not yet, love at first site, matt is really gay, shiro is really not gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 23:59:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12758934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sedamentary/pseuds/sedamentary
Summary: When Matt has to take a mandatory english class during his first year in college, he didn't think for even a moment that he'd end up falling in love. Apparently the universe had other plans.(This is set 2 years before my Klance fic 'What Happens At A Con, Stays At A Con'. You do not have to read one fic to understand the other)





	What happens In College

Matt wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he entered his Intro to English class in university. It was odd. He was majoring in computer science but it was standard for first years in any program to take some sort of English class, so he could deal with it. He figured it would be completely uneventful.

Then again, life had its ways of surprising him.

He took a seat in the front - he may as well get the most out of this class and sitting here made it so there’d be no distractions. He pulled out his laptop and decided to scroll through the course syllabus before the class began.

He felt a presence appear beside him but didn’t bother looking up until he heard a voice say, “My laptop’s getting fixed so I couldn’t bring it today. Mind if I overview the syllabus with you?”

He looked over towards the owner of the voice and was met with the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. Black undercut with dyed white tips at the front, firm jawline, a scar over his nose that added a tougher feel to him. What really got him was, for how tough and strong he looked, his eyes were some of the kindest he’d ever seen and his smile was so soft.

It was love at first sight.

Matt nodded then realized he had to speak. He wasn’t exactly good at speaking to people he liked so instead of giving a simple ‘yes’ he practically yelled, “YOU ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON I’VE EVER SEEN!!” Then proceeded to clamp his hand over his mouth. There was a time and a place for affection and that definitely wasn’t in a learning environment.

He’d probably just blown any chance he had to even be this guy’s friend now. He was way too forwards and his gaydar hadn’t gone off with this one - he was probably straight.

The boy simply chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his head, “I’m flattered. Thanks.”

Matt found himself blushing a deep red. _Did he just…?_ Matt’s mind couldn’t fully compute what just happened. _Why did he say that?_

The gorgeous man added after a moment of silence, “So do you mind if I share your computer for the class?”

Matt nodded, “I um. Yeah! Go ahead! I mean… I don’t mind at all!” God he was going to mess this thing up. This guy must be a saint if he wasn’t repelled by his awkwardness already.

The man chuckled a bit, “Thanks. I’m Shiro by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

Matt smiled back at the boy, “I’m Matt.”

They didn’t speak for the rest of class, but they did share a screen, leaning their heads in closer towards each other as they looked over the single laptop. Matt was all too aware of the close presence of the other boy and for the first time ever, he found he couldn’t pay any attention in class.

As soon as the class was over he lingered for a moment They both did. The other students started filing out around them. Matt eventually packed up his things and stood up. He was going to say something to Shiro but didn’t know quite what so he just looked over at the other boy and found that shiro was already looking back at him.

Shiro gave him an easy smile, “Thanks for today. I’ll see you next class?”

Matt found himself nodding in response, not quite trusting his voice as the beautiful man left the room. It took him another moment to collect himself before leaving the room with a goofy grin on his face.

Waiting until he got home and told his sister about this, he talked to the most attractive guy he’s ever met in his life and the guy wasn’t running for the hills. He didn’t completely mess this thing up! He didn’t know if he had any chance, probably not, but he wanted to at least try.

It was a few days until the next English lecture but he decided he’d try and look a bit more presentable, _maybe even stylish?_ He wanted to look good for Shiro. Between him and Katie they’d been able to piece together something decent. They’d spent time researching the latest styles and settled on jeans and a black T-shirt that said ‘keep calm and solve for X’ on it as well as his nice watch. He pulled his book bag over his head and looked himself over in a mirror. All in all, he thought he looked pretty sleek. He even tried to brush his hair and it looked decently neat for a change.

He walked outside feeling confident until he checked his watch and saw that he was almost late for class. His eyes bulged slightly and he took off running towards the bus stop and went to get on but he realized he forgot his bus pass.

 _This couldn’t be happening._ He’d spent all this time getting ready to impress this hot guy, but what for? Now he’d be late for school and Shiro would think he’s a total slacker… _there goes his chances._

He sighed in defeat before he heard a horn honking beside him on the road. He looked over and there was Shiro driving an old white mini van. He rolled down the passenger window and yelled towards him, “Need a ride to school?”

Literally a prince in shining armour rolling up on his white steed. He grinned, “Yeah! That’d be great!”

He got in the passenger’s seat and looked over at Shiro who was meeting his gaze, waiting until he buckled up before he started driving again.

Matt smiled a bit sheepishly, “Thanks Shiro. I forgot my bus pass so I was sure I’d be late for class. You’re a lifesaver!”

Shiro chuckled a bit, “No problem. I’m guessing you had a pretty busy morning? Or a pretty late study session? We’ve all been there.”

Matt thought back to how him and Pidge spent the night researching men’s styles and all the prep work they’d done this morning, “Yeah. Something like that.”

Shiro parked in the student lot and they got out, heading to class, “How about I buy you a coffee as a thanks for saving me?”

Shiro smiled, “Sure, sounds good. But after class okay? I don’t think either of us want to show up late.”

 _Okay so…_ it wasn’t exactly a coffee date. He knew it was just a friendly guys outing or whatever but it was definitely a win in his books and when he told Katie about it later he’d be sure to spin it off as a date.

Since they were a bit later the only seats left were in the back, but at least they were on time. He sat down next to Shiro, happy they were at least sitting together again.

Fate must be smiling on him today.

He hadn’t really paid much attention in class. It felt like a repeat of grade twelve English so what was the point? Shiro seemed to pay lots of attention though, taking notes on all the key points and occasionally asking the teacher questions. It made him wonder what his background was? What gave him the drive to be so studious and attentive in school? He hoped he could weasel some information out of him on their coffee date. This man really interested him.

Matt packed up his things and waited for Shiro to do the same. He hadn’t really noticed before but his right arm seemed shaky as it struggled to pack up his books and upon closer inspection it seemed to be a prosthetic. He wondered what the story there was and decided to ask later, for now he helped Shiro put his books in his back.

Shiro smiled sheepishly at him, “Thanks. I’m still getting used to this.”

He was clearly referring to his arm and Matt gave him an easy smile, “No worries. It’s fine. I’ve scouted out the best coffee shop on campus if you want me to lead you there?”

Shiro nodded, “Yeah sounds good. My next class isn’t for a couple hours so I have some time.”

Matt lead him to the outskirts of the campus, into this small little coffee shop called Altea. He smiled and waved when he saw Allura working the front counter. Deciding maybe he’d avoid flirting today since he was adamant about impressing this guy and not turning him off, “Hey Allura! How’s it going?”

Allura raised an eyebrow at him, probably trying to figure out why he hadn’t tried to hit on her directly, but when she saw Shiro beside him, she smirked. “Pretty good. So who’s your friend?”

Matt tried not to blush. It clearly took all of three seconds for Allura to catch on, “This is Shiro. He’s from my English class.”

Allura nodded, “So a first year?”

Matt didn’t actually know, he’d just assumed Shiro was.

Shiro chimed in, “Yeah. I am. How about you?”

Allura smiled, “I’m actually a third year. I’m a film studies major. How about you?”

Shiro shrugged, “I’m undeclared. I’m sure I’ll figure it out by the end of the year.”

Allura smiled kindly and nodded, “Yeah. You seem smart I’m sure you will. So boys, what can I get you today?”

Matt didn’t even have to look at the menu, “Order whatever you want Shiro, but just so you know, they make the most incredible caramel cappuccinos here!”

Shiro smiled, “Sounds good. I’ll have one of those then.”

Matt turned to Allura, “Two caramel cappuccinos!”

Allura looked at the two of them curiously, “For here or to go?”

Matt side eyed Shiro, wondering what he’d want before Shiro added easily, “For here, if you don’t mind?”

He was more addressing Matt then Allura and Matt gave a slightly too enthusiastic nod, “Yeah! For here sounds good!”

Allura smiled softly and went to work.

Shiro followed her movements, “She seems nice.”

Matt nodded, “Yeah, she really is. But um… don’t get any ideas! She’s taken! And a lesbian! No point in pursuing her!” Both were blatant lies but he knew that once someone got their sights on Allura there’d be no chance for him… _why did he take Shiro here again?_

Shiro nods, “Ah. Okay. She still seems nice. So where do you want to sit?”

Matt took a sigh of relief, “Just in the corner. It’s not busy so Allura will bring us our drinks.”

Shiro nodded and sat down in the corner booth with him, “So what’s your major then?”

Matt grinned, “”Computer science!”

Shiro let out a low whistle, “I’m impressed. Isn’t this school known for that? It’s a really hard program to get into!”

Matt’s pretty proud of his position and his intelligence, “Yeah it is! So why’d you choose this school then?”

Shiro shrugged, “Close to home. My career plans changed suddenly so I just sort of ended up here I guess?”

Matt looked at Shiro’s arm then up at the other boy, wondering what had happened there. _What changed? How’d it changed?_

Shiro noticed him staring and he wasn’t one to back down from a question, “So what happened there?”

Shiro shrugged and gave him a forced smile, “Lost it in an explosion over in Afghanistan.”

 _Shiro was a soldier?_ That really suited him. He could imagine him in an army uniform. God, he was already hot. This brought things to a whole other level. Men in uniform got him every time. “Oh. Cool. I mean obviously not cool that you lost your arm, but cool that you went over there! What’s it like?”

Matt was beyond curious as to what went on overseas. You could only learn so much through magazine articles and news re-runs. He wanted the information first hand.

Shiro chuckles a bit, “I’m surprised you want to know, most people just stop talking about it and change the subject as soon as I mention my arm.”

Matt raised his hands in panic and waved him off, “No, no it’s fine. You don’t have to tell me! You probably have PTSD or something. That’s probably why they sent you back and I didn’t even think.”

Shiro chuckled a bit, “Calm down, it’s fine. Surprisingly I don’t. I actually really like talking about what happened over there. It’s a blessing that I survived, so the least I can do is share the stories of those who didn’t.”

Matt nodded, “Yeah, then I’d love to listen!”

From there he went straight into telling the story of different soldiers. One named Thace who infiltrated the enemy's base and reported bits of intel to home base. He ended up having to blow the place up from the inside sacrificing his life in the process.

Another boy was named Miguel. He died saving the life of his comrades. A true hero's death, while in life he made everyone's time away from home and on the battlefield so much better. He was the sole reason for laughter amongst the troops and when he left the mood turned quite a bit more downcast.

It was amazing; the differences people made over there, and how easily they could be forgotten. No one hears their stories, so that’s probably why Shiro talked so passionately about them. To keep their memory alive.

He waited for Shiro to finish his story to chime in, “So where do you fit in in all this?”

Shiro shrugged, “I don’t. I wasn’t anything special. I fought and got caught up in a grenade explosion. I was lucky only my arm was blown off.”

Matt looked at him seriously, “I’m glad you came back okay, Shiro. You’re a hero.”

Shiro smiled, sadness clear in his eyes, “Miguel had a wife and kid as well as a whole family that loved him.”

Matt put a hand on his shoulder, “You have a family too.”

Shiro shook him off and grabbed the cappuccino that had been delivered not long ago, “I know. But Miguel was a better man than me... did more than me. I was there for barely two years. I didn’t serve my time before getting sent home with only a few scars to show for it.”

“And a missing arm!”

Shiro lets out a loud sigh, “And a missing arm. Sorry. Let’s talk about something else, it’s a pretty heavy subject when we barely know each other.”

Matt gives him, what he hopes is a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry Shiro. You can talk to me about anything. Maybe we barely know each other now, but I have a feeling we’re going to be friends for a very long time. And I’m normally right about these things! So you can tell me anything!”

Shiro gave him a genuine smile that melted his heart, “Thanks. You can tell me anything as well.”

 _Not anything… I can’t exactly tell you that I fell in love with you at first sight. That would just be creepy._ “Thanks Shiro! I’ll keep that in mind!”

Several moments of silence passed, Matt didn’t know what to say but he felt like he had to be the one to break the silence this time. “So um… I have a pet turtle. He’s pretty cool.”

Shiro chuckles a bit, “Turtle hm? What’s his name?”

Matt chuckled, “Undecided.”

Shiro looks at him curiously, “How long have you had this turtle?”

“Two years.”

“And you haven’t decided it’s name yet” He looked at him skeptically.

Matt shook his head, “No. Shiro. His name is Undecided.”

Shiro laughed a bit and it might possibly be one of the most beautiful noises Matt’s ever heard. “I see. Well hopefully one day I’ll get to meet Undecided. Sounds like a great pet!”

Matt grinned, “I can show you pics if you like?” He brought out his cellphone and showed the other boy some pictures of his turtle and was surprised that Shiro seemed genuinely interested, if somewhat amused by what he had to say about his turtle. Everywhere from where he found it with his sister to what sort of food it ate and how to avoid it snapping you while attempting to pet it.

They went on like this, talking about little things until, Shiro had to go to class and Matt figured he should go home and eat dinner before his night class started.

He walked Shiro to his class, thinking that maybe this was what it was like when someone walked someone else home from a date. Should he kiss him? Was this a date? There was an easy answer to his hopeful questions. _No. This wasn’t a date._ And No. Unless he wanted to lose a possible new friend he should most definitely not kiss him.

He smiled at Shiro as they stood outside of his class, “Well, I guess I’ll see you around?”

Shiro leaned in close and for a moment he thought the other boy would kiss him, but then Shiro’s arms were around him and he was being pulled into a hug. A hug that he immediately reciprocated.

Then Shiro stepped back and gave a small two fingered salute, “See you later Matt.”

Matt felt himself blushing and stared after Shiro, only responding after the door was closed and class had already started, “Uh… yeah. See you later Shiro.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my Beta reader Luna from Luna_Vulpes for being an incredible beta for inspiring this and giving me so much help in both editing and strategizing for my fics! I couldn't write this without her!
> 
> and thanks for everyone for reading this! It means a lot to me! and each comment also means the world to me and inspires me to write more!


End file.
